Commonwealth nations to discuss slavery, climate change at Samoa summit
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Leaders and officials from 56 countries with roots in Britain's empire are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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APIA, Samoa – The leaders of the Commonwealth group of nations will meet at a welcome banquet in Samoa in the South Pacific on Oct 24, with climate change and reparations for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade both likely to be on the agenda.
Leaders and officials from 56 countries with roots in Britain's empire are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which began on Oct 21, in the small island nation.
British Prime Minister Kier Starmer said on Oct 21 that the UK will not bring the issue of reparations for historical transatlantic slavery to the table at the summit, but is open to engage with leaders who want to discuss it.
The idea of reparations for transatlantic slavery is longstanding but has recently been gaining momentum worldwide, particularly those that are part of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and, more recently, the African Union.
The Caricom Reparations Commission has been set up to seek reparations from former colonial powers such as the United Kingdom, France and Portugal.
Those opposed to paying reparations say countries should not be held responsible for historical wrongs, while those in favour say the legacy of slavery has resulted in persistent and vast racial inequalities today.
A Caricom source familiar with the matter told Reuters that CHOGM presents an “important opportunity” for dialogue on reparations and the region will be tabling the issue there.
“It is a priority for many of the Commonwealth’s member countries and whenever those affected by atrocities ask to talk, there should always be a willingness to sit down and listen,” said Professor Kingsley Abbott, director of the University of London’s Institute of Commonwealth Studies, who is attending the summit.
From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported by European ships and merchants and sold into slavery. Those who survived the brutal voyage ended up toiling on plantations under inhumane conditions in the Americas, mostly in Brazil and the Caribbean, while others profited from their labour.
More than half of the Commonwealth’s members are small states, many of which are low-lying island nations at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said ocean temperatures are rising in the Pacific islands at three times the rate worldwide, and the population there is “uniquely exposed” to the impact of rising sea levels.
Britain’s King Charles, who is attending CHOGM,
Island leaders are expected to issue a declaration on ocean protection at the summit, with climate change being a central topic of discussion.
The summit wraps up with a leaders’ retreat and press conference on Oct 26. REUTERS
